The present invention relates to a fluid sampling device and more particularly, to a device which is to be lowered into a pool of fluid to obtain a sample quantity of the fluid at a predetermined depth below the surface of the pool.
It is often desired to obtain a set of fluid samples from a well, lake, river, or a tank with each fluid sample being taken from a different depth. A sampling device for doing this quickly will be configured to accept a detachable sampling bottle. If a chamber for receiving the fluid sample were permanently attached to the sampling device, it would be necessary to cleanse the chamber completely after taking each sample to insure that the sample would not be contaminated by residue from previously obtained samples. Such a cleansing operation would be tedious and time consuming.
A sampling device of the type to which the present invention relates must be capable of sealing the sampling bottle and maintaining this seal while the sampling device is lowered to the desired depth. Such a device should further provide for a simple method of opening the sample bottle when it is submerged to the desired depth to allow the sample bottle to fill with fluid. It is also necessary to provide a way of sealing the sample bottle after it is filled so that the fluid sample is not contaminated as the sampling device is withdrawn from the fluid.
A sampling device of the type to which the present invention relates typically is lowered into the pool by means of a cord or chain. It is possible to provide for opening and closing the sampling bottle by means of additional cords attached to the sampling device. Such complicated arrangements are, however, awkward to work with since the cords may become tangled. Additionally, such arrangements are susceptible to accidental actuation causing the sampling bottle to become filled prior to being lowered to the desired depth.